Ngu Chi Son 2-Day Private Trek: Cardamom Forest, Mountain Hut, Summit Sunrise

Itinerary, day by day

Day 1: Sa Pa → Ta Giang Phin — Cardamom Forest, Cau May Waterfall & the Mountain Hut

Drive to the trailhead, then about seven hours on foot through cardamom forest and moss-covered boulder fields to a wooden hut high on the mountain.

Your guide collects you from your hotel in Sa Pa town at 07:30 and drives you the 30 kilometres north-west to Ta Giang Phin, a H’mong village at the foot of the mountain. The road takes about three quarters of an hour. At the village you meet the porters, spread your kit out on the ground and go through it properly — what goes up with you, what the porters carry, what stays in the car.

You set off around 08:30. The first stretch is the easiest walking of the whole trek: a clear stream on your right, and gardens of wild cardamom growing in the shade under tall old trees. Cardamom is a cash crop here, and the paths you are walking were cut by the families who harvest it.

Above about 1,300 metres the forest changes character. The trees thin, the ground turns to house-sized boulders under a thick coat of green moss, and the trail begins to climb in earnest through stands of bamboo. You stop for a picnic lunch beside the stream around midday.

The afternoon is the real work. In several places the path is steep enough that you pull yourself up on bamboo stems or on short wooden ladders the porters maintain. At roughly 2,400 metres you pass the Cau May waterfall, and from there you feel the temperature drop. You reach the hut between 16:00 and 16:30, with enough daylight to sit outside while the porters cook dinner over the fire and the sun goes down over the Hoang Lien Son range. It is an early night — tomorrow begins in the dark.

• Drive: 30 km, about 45 minutes
• On foot: about 7 hours
• Meals: Lunch, Dinner
• Overnight: Mountain hut on the Ngu Chi Son trail

Day 2: Summit Sunrise at 2,858 m — Descent to Sa Pa

A pre-dawn start by headlamp for sunrise on the summit, then the full descent on the same trail and back to Sa Pa by late afternoon.

You wake at 05:00 to hot tea and put your headlamp on. The last two hours to the top are the most interesting climbing on the route: narrow rock ledges, one squeeze between two boulders where you carry your pack in front of you to get through, and two or three short sections close to vertical where there are fixed ropes to hold.

You come out on the summit for sunrise at 2,858 metres. On a clear morning the cloud lies in the valleys below you, Fansipan stands to the south, and the five rock towers that give the mountain its name are around you at eye level. Between October and March that sea of cloud is close to reliable; later in the season you are more likely to be standing in the cloud than above it.

You are back at the hut by about 09:00 for a hot breakfast, and start down at 10:00 on the same trail you came up. Take it slowly: on this mountain the descent is harder on the knees than the climb was on the lungs, and it is where most people get tired. Lunch on the trail around 12:30. You reach Ta Giang Phin at about 15:00, where the car is waiting, and you are back at your hotel in Sa Pa by around 16:00.

Every departure is private, and the plan can change — tell us what you would like to add or skip.

• On foot: about 8-9 hours
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: —

What's included

Included

Not included

Age pricing

Rates are the starting point for a private quote and move with season, hotel choice and party size. Nothing is charged on this site. Send an inquiry and a designer confirms the exact figure in writing.

Frequently asked questions

• How much does the Ngu Chi Son trek cost?

  US$174 per person for a private departure of 2 to 5 trekkers, and US$155 per person for 6 to 9. The price covers the full land package from your hotel in Sa Pa and back: road transport to the trailhead, an English-speaking mountain guide, porters, one night in the mountain hut, four meals, drinking water, raincoat, gloves and a trekking pole, forest and community fees, and VAT. It does not cover the journey between Hanoi and Sa Pa, which we quote separately. There is no single supplement. Groups of 10 or more are quoted on request. Prices hold for departures up to 31 December 2026; 2027 departures are quoted on request.

• Is this a private trek?

  Yes. Every departure is private, from 2 trekkers. Your guide and porters work with your group only, and you can start on any day of the week — there is no fixed weekly departure to join. One porter is provided for every two guests.

• How hard is Ngu Chi Son, and is it harder than Fansipan?

  We rate it 7 out of 10, and on foot it is harder than Fansipan. There is no cable car on Ngu Chi Son, so you walk every metre in both directions, and the last section to the summit is steeper. You are on your feet about 7 hours on Day 1 and 8 to 9 hours on Day 2. You should be able to walk steep ground for two days running and be comfortable moving on rock. No rope skills or climbing experience are needed. The trek is not suitable if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, weak knees or a real fear of heights.

• How do I get from Hanoi to Sa Pa?

  It is not included in the trek price, and we quote it separately so you can choose. The three usual options are a limousine van, a sleeper bus, or the night train to Lao Cai with a road transfer up to Sa Pa. Tell us which you prefer and we add it to your quote. Most trekkers arrive in Sa Pa the day before and sleep in town, because the pick-up is at 07:30 on Day 1.

• What is the best time to climb Ngu Chi Son?

  September to April. October to March is when the sea of cloud below the summit is most reliable, and that is the view most people come for. March to May brings the rhododendrons into flower on the upper slopes. The summit can sit near 0°C in midwinter, so warm layers and a windproof jacket matter from December to February.

• What is the mountain hut like?

  A wooden hut on the trail above the Cau May waterfall, with a shared sleeping area. You get a sleeping place with a blanket, pillow and insulated mat. There is no shower, no electricity and no mobile signal you can rely on. Dinner and breakfast are cooked at the hut over a fire by your porters. Bring a change of dry clothes for the evening and a headlamp.

• Can children or teenagers join?

  The minimum age is 16, and 16- and 17-year-olds are accepted when travelling with a parent or guardian on the same departure, at the full adult fare. There is no child fare on this trek. The limit is set for safety, not pricing: the summit section has narrow ledges, fixed ropes and a squeeze between two boulders, and Day 2 is eight to nine hours on foot. For families with younger children we suggest the Fansipan cable car day, the Cat Cat and Lao Chai – Ta Van village walks, or the Rong May glass bridge instead.

• What happens if the weather turns bad?

  Your guide checks the forecast the day before and again at the trailhead, and has the authority to change the plan or turn the group back if the mountain is not safe. If we take you off the mountain, we refund or re-route the unused part of the trek. After heavy rain the trail is muddy and slippery, which is why we ask for boots with a strong grip rather than trainers.

• What meals are included, and can you cater for dietary requirements?

  Four meals: a picnic lunch by the stream on Day 1, dinner cooked at the hut, a hot breakfast at the hut on Day 2, and lunch on the trail during the descent. Drinking water is included at 1.5 litres per person per day. Tell us about any dietary requirement when you book — vegetarian is straightforward, anything stricter needs a few days notice, because everything is carried up the mountain by hand.

• Can Ngu Chi Son be done in one day?

  Strong hikers do it in a single long day, and we can quote that if you prefer. You lose the two things that make the trek worth doing, though: the sunrise from the summit and the night on the mountain. Two days is our recommendation.

• Do I need a visa for Vietnam?

  Citizens of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Nordic countries, Japan, South Korea and a number of other European countries can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. Most ASEAN citizens get 14 to 30 days. Everyone else, including US, Canadian, Australian and Indian passport holders, applies online for an e-visa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry) at the official portal evisa.gov.vn, usually issued in about 3 working days. Full list in our Vietnam e-visa guide at worldmatetravel.com/guide-for-vietnam-evisa.

• How do I book and pay?

  Send an inquiry and we confirm the price in writing within 24 hours. Nothing is charged on this website. To confirm your tour, pay a 30% deposit by bank transfer or by Visa, Mastercard or Amex through a secure OnePay payment link that we email to you. The remaining 70% is due at least 14 days before you arrive. The deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel (in writing) more than 21 days before departure, you lose only the deposit, and any amount paid above it stays valid for 12 months towards another tour. From 7 to 21 days before departure the charge is 50% of the tour price, and within 6 days or for a no-show it is 100%. Groups of more than 8 people, and tours that include flights or Mekong river cruises, have different terms. Full details are in our Terms & Conditions at worldmatetravel.com/terms-and-conditions#cancellation.